Christ Our Precious Cornerstone

 “as it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: And whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭33‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Paul’s revelation from Isaiah’s prophecy was, “just as it is written: “Be careful! I am setting in Zion a Stone that will cause people to stumble, a Rock of offense that will make them fall, but believers in Him will not experience shame.”  To stand in faith is to stand on a Rock which is to stand in faith on the Gospel of salvation in Christ, rather than in the salvation of works.  Isaiah had warned the Jews, “The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, But a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken.”  Later Isaiah prophesied what Paul told to Jews and non-Jews alike, “Here’s what the Lord God says: “Behold, I set in place in Zion a Foundation Stone, fully tested and proven to be faithful and secure. And written upon this precious Cornerstone is this: ‘Those who trust in Him will not act in haste.’”  Even if a promise delays, we will not be disheartened but will remain steadfast in faith.  Amen!

It Is Finished

 “What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. O Lord, by these things men live, And in all these things is the life of my spirit: So wilt thou recover me, and make me to live.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭38‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah recorded, “But what can I say? For He has spoken to me and told me that He is the One Who has done this. I can’t sleep a wink because I’m overwhelmed with grief. Lord, it is because of Your kindness that life is given. It is in You that my spirit lives. Now restore my health and give me life again!”  When Hezekiah was told by Isaiah that he would die soon, he wept and asked to be spared and God told Isaiah to turn back and tell Hezekiah that he would live fifteen years more.  So Hezekiah praised God in gratitude and said that God Himself had done it.  These words were the same as when Jesus spoke on the Cross, “It is finished”.  This was a shadow of God’s kindness, mercy and goodness of God shown in this act of gracious love that Christ took the sicknesses of all humanity on the Cross and finished it.  Those who believe, receive it but those who question it, it will pass them by. As Isaiah prophesied, “He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as One from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.”  This truth is still healing people today, two thousand years after this event, by those who simply believe it.  Amen!

Manifesting of the Sons of God

 “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As Paul was given this revelation, “The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters!”  With such intense anticipation is this waiting, that it’s like craning your neck because it is about to happen!  The created universe is but a backdrop for the dramatic appearing of God’s sons and daughters unveiled with the glory of Jesus Christ upon them.  This “unveiling” is imminent, soon to happen, and destined to take place.  Christ’s glory will come to us, enter us, fill us, envelop us, and then be revealed through us as partakers of the glory.  Although God will not share His glory with any other, we are no longer “another”, for we are one with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit through faith in Christ.  Jesus prayed, “I pray for them all to be joined together as one even as You and I, Father, are joined together as One. I pray for them to become One with us so that the world will recognize that You sent Me.  For the very glory You have given to Me I have given them so that they will be joined together as one and experience the same unity that We enjoy. You live fully in Me and now I live fully in them so that they will experience perfect unity, and the world will be convinced that You have sent Me, for they will see that You love each one of them with the same passionate love that You have for Me.”  What a privilege to be one with God.  Amen!

God Is Forever True to His Word

 “And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭37‬:‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah recorded, “They told him, “Here is Hezekiah’s message: ‘This is a day of great anguish, rebuke, and humiliation. We are desperate, as in the day a woman is in heavy labor but has no strength left to give birth.”  Hezekiah brought the situation to Isaiah’s notice of the Assyrian army surrounding Jerusalem and they were unprepared for the oncoming onslaught.  At that time Isaiah gave Hezekiah God’s comfort to not fear and the king believed God and shortly thereafter the Assyrian king and his army retreated and the Assyrian king was murdered by his own sons.  Isaiah went on to prophesy, “Who has ever seen or heard of such a wonder? Could a country be born in a day? Can a nation be birthed so suddenly? Yet no sooner does Zion go into labor than she gives birth to sons!”  Paul also said, “The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters! For against its will the universe itself has had to endure the empty futility resulting from the consequences of human sin. But now, with eager expectation, all creation longs for freedom from its slavery to decay and to experience with us the wonderful freedom coming to God’s children.”  God birthed His children through the Cross and the nation of Israel was birthed in one day in the twentieth century.  God is forever true to His Word, let’s just trust Him always.  Amen!

The Higher Law of Love Through Christ’s Cross

 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Paul’s revelation was, “For we know that the law is divinely inspired and comes from the spiritual realm, but I am a human being made of flesh and trafficked as a slave under sin’s authority. I’m a mystery to myself, for I want to do what is right, but end up doing what my moral instincts condemn.”  Here Paul is identifying with the people of Israel under the law prior to receiving Christ, as the one delivered from the bondage of sin, but yet knowing the condemnation that law brings.  Though the law of God is spiritual and can never be changed but the Cross of Christ is the higher for it delivers us from condemnation.  Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  All those who come to the Cross and receive forgiveness are under no condemnation for the Blood of Christ eliminates sin and makes us righteous.  Amen!

Hearing God for Ourselves

 “Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you. Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭36‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah records, “for he has sent me with these words: ‘Don’t let Hezekiah mislead you, for there is nothing he can do to save you. Don’t be deceived when he tries to persuade you to trust in Yahweh, saying to you, “Yahweh will come to our rescue and our city will not be handed over to the king of Assyria.” The king of Assyria, Sennacherib, came to take possession of Jerusalem and send the military commander of his army to intimidate the people of Israel and their king Hezekiah.  The invading army knew the power of God Who protects Israel and that Hezekiah was a godly king.  This is really the desperation of satan, the father of lies, to put fear into people to disregard God, the true and Holy One. Hezekiah, however, listened to the prophet Isaiah and sought God’s help and obeyed God, so that the army of Sennacherib had to leave without invading.  Today, the pressures of culture, tradition, materialism, secularism etc. are such that people succumb to these lies of the devil.  So who do we listen to?  God has already reconciled us to Him through the Cross, given us the power of Jesus’s Name, the power of the Word of God, the power of the Blood Sacrifice, the Resurrection power and the power of the Holy Spirit Who activates this in us.  Let’s hear God for ourselves and overcome everything the adversary brings against us and proclaim the victory of Christ.  Amen!

Our Old Man Was Crucified With Christ

 “knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Paul had the revelation that, “Could it be any clearer that our former identity is now and forever deprived of its power? For we were co-crucified with him to dismantle the stronghold of sin within us, so that we would not continue to live one moment longer submitted to sin’s power.”  We have come to the realisation that our old son of Adam which was in the body of sin, no longer has dominion over us as it has been put out of business!  To beg God for victory over sin is a refusal to understand that we have already died to sin.  Our joyful task is to believe the good news, rather than  to “crucify ourselves”. Sin is not suppressed by the Cross - it is eliminated.  Upon this “water” God commands us to step out and walk upon it, for we are now in Him.  Let’s keep in mind that we who belong to Jesus Christ have already experienced crucifixion. For everything connected with our self-life was put to death on the Cross and crucified with Messiah. If the Spirit is the source of our life, we must also allow the Spirit to direct every aspect of our lives.  Amen!

The True Church in the Last Days

 “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭35‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah prophesied, “The wilderness and dry land will be joyously glad! The desert will blossom like a rose and rejoice! Every dry and barren place will burst forth with abundant blossoms, dancing and spinning with delight! Lebanon’s lush splendor covers it, the magnificent beauty of Carmel and Sharon. My people will see the awesome glory of Yahweh, the beautiful grandeur of our God.”  This is a picture of the last-days Church rising up out of the wilderness to shine in all the radiance of its glory.  It is a picture of Eden restored as the Kingdom realm of God brings hope to the weak and struggling.  The “Sacred Way” is the way of life in Christ as we live in His power and virtue.  Blossoming it will blossom as it breaks forth and blooms as God’s people in the last days will spread wings and fly!  Once confined in the wilderness, they will break forth and blossom with beauty and glory as saints of the Most High, with delight and dancing.  Carmel is a mountain range near Israel’s Meditteranean coast and means “fruitful, plentiful orchard or vineyard”.  Sharon is a coastal plain in Israel and means “open, straight, pleasant and prosperous”.  Through our faith, the mighty power of God constantly guards us until our full salvation is ready to be revealed in the last days. Thank You, God, for the last-days Church, the true Church, the Body of Christ. Amen!

Reconciled to God and Living by His Grace

 “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬ ‭KJV‬

Paul’s revelation says, “So if while we were still enemies, God fully reconciled us to Himself through the death of His Son, then something greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, and because we share in His resurrection life, how much more we will be rescued from sin’s dominion!”  Reconciled means exchanged - that is, Christ exchanged our sins for His righteousness and so reconciled us to God.  The reign of death is caused by the guilt of sin.  Jesus had explained to His disciples, “Soon I will leave this world and they will see Me no longer, but you will see Me, because I will live again, and you will come alive too.”  Christ is able to save fully from now throughout eternity, everyone who comes to God through Him, because He lives to pray continually for them.  Let’s ever be reconciled to God and enjoy the bliss of His grace living in us continually.  Amen!

Judgment is Sure for All the Enemies of the Cross

 “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭34‬:‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah prophesied, “The heavenly powers will fade away to nothing, and the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. All their mighty host will wither as leaves fall from a withered vine or fruit from a withering fig tree.”  This host of heaven are the demonic powers which are enemies of God.  These are the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.  The Lord Jesus defeated these powers on earth through the Cross and made an open shame of them.  Just before He returns, this is what will take place: ‘The sun will be darkened and the moon give no light. The stars will fall from the sky and all the cosmic powers will be shaken.  As John saw in his revelation, “The stars fell from heaven to the earth, as a fig tree shaken by a stormy wind sheds its unripe figs. The sky receded with a snap—as a scroll rolls itself up. And every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then the kings of the earth and its great princes and generals, the rich and powerful, and everyone, whether they were slave or free, ran for cover and hid in the caves and among the mountain boulders. They called out to the mountains and the boulders, saying, “Fall on us at once! Hide us quickly from the glorious face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”  Judgment is sure for all the enemies of the Cross.  This is why we are to preach the Gospel of power as never before.  Amen!